79th Fighter Squadron

79th Fighter Squadron
79th FS F-16C Block 50 94-0049 flies a mission over the Utah Test and Training Range, 2002
Active	22 February 1918 – 15 November 1918 1 April 1933 – 18 October 1945 29 July 1946 – 30 June 1993 1 January 1994 – present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Fighter
Part of	Air Combat Command 9th Air Force 20th Fighter Wing 20th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Shaw Air Force Base
Nickname(s)	Tigers
Engagements	Battle of Normandy
Decorations	DUC AFOUA
Commanders
Notable commanders	James Ferguson James E. Hill John G. Lorber
Insignia
79th Fighter Squadron emblem

The 79th Fighter Squadron (79 FS) is part of the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting air superiority missions.

The squadron is one of the oldest in the United States Air Force, its origins dating to 22 February 1918, being organized at Rich Field, Waco Texas, as a pilot training Squadron during World War I. The squadron saw combat during World War II, and became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) during the Cold War.

The 79th Fighter Squadron traces its history back to February 1918, when it was first organized as the 79th Aero Squadron. The unit inactivated from November 1918 until April 1933, when it became the 79th Pursuit Squadron, flying the Boeing P-12 at Barksdale Field, Louisiana From 1940 to 1942, the squadron trained combat pilots and flew the P-40 Warhawk from bases on the east coast.

In 1943, the 79th converted to the P-38 Lightning, flying out of Northamptonshire, England, performing duty as bomber escorts and conducting fighter sweeps over Germany. The 79th remained at English bases throughout the war, supporting both the Normandy invasion and the allied drive into Germany. The squadron returned to the states and was inactivated on 19 October 1945.